Candidates sit for Idaad and Thanawi exams
By Shahista Namale
Over 3700 candidates have begun their Idaad and Thanawi theology examinations conducted by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC)-based Idaad and Thanawī Examination Board.
The announcement of the start of the examinations was made by Dr. Sheikh Ziyad Swaleh Lubanga, the Board’s Executive Secretary, during a media briefing held at the Board’s offices in Kawempe, on the outskirts of Kampala City, on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
A total of 2,987 candidates from 125 schools registered for O-Level (Idaad), while 777 candidates from 59 schools registered for A-Level (Thanawi).
This reflects an increase in the number of candidates sitting for Islamic Theology examinations compared to 2024.
According to the timetable, the nationwide Islamic Theology examinations commenced on Monday, November 17, 2025, and end on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Dr. Lubanga noted that all examination packages are ready and will soon be dispatched to the eight gazetted centres countrywide, where they will be picked up by school heads under strict security procedures.
For O-Level (Idaad), candidates are expected to sit for ten papers within six days. These include Dictation and Calligraphy, Sources of Exegesis, Islamic Monotheism, Holy Qur’an Recitation and Its Rules, Arabic Literature and Texts, Composition and Comprehension, Sources of Islamic Law, Sources of Prophetic Traditions, and Qur’anic Orals and Rhetoric.
For A-Level (Thanawī), candidates will sit for fifteen papers over eight days. These include Holy Qur’an Exegesis, Grammar and Morphology, Islamic Family Law, Arabic Literature, Jurisprudence of Rituals, Islamic History, Religion and Sects, Sources of Islamic Law, Prophetic Traditions, Composition and Comprehension, and Orals.
He cautioned school heads and candidates against any form of examination malpractice, warning that it may lead to cancellation of results and, more importantly, it is a sin in the sight of Almighty Allah.
Dr. Lubanga commended school administrators, parents, students, and the general public for the support that has enabled the Board to run its activities smoothly.
